00:15

Ai Weiwei

Guardian

€650

Edition of 1601

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Self-satire meets storied symbolism in a sparkling silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.

In Chinese tradition, a Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei acknowledges his standing in global consciousness, draws parallels with his life as an artist, and attempts to resolve the two.

Familiar motifs nod to the negative influences that Weiwei, in divine form, might ward off – from censorship and propaganda to corruption and surveillance. Red, meanwhile, promises good fortune for the year ahead.

To create the edition, printers at Make-Ready developed a new technique designed to echo a ceramic tile or cast concrete in silkscreen form. Bespoke gold ink ‘overloaded’ with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then veiled by a layer of vibrant red to reveal an intricate illustration in negative space.

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Behind the scenes

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00:51

Ai Weiwei

18 collaborations

Ai Weiwei is unafraid to speak truth to power. He’s one of the most famous living artists today – a testament to the breadth and vision of his practice. Effortlessly, he moves between different media, from sculpture and architecture to performance and documentary film. His work is often monumental in scale and is driven by a hunger for truth and justice. In 2008, for example, Ai spent many months collecting the names of over 5000 children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. This unflinching dedication to human rights saw him detained by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011, accused of ‘subverting the state.’

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Reviews from Avant collectors

thank you for the breath of life you bring the art community, you are the poet laureate's of packaging and one day gods will sing your praises. i am in heaven with this purchase!
Review of Descendent - Lucid Dreamer
Overall very good communication the work itself is great quality!
Review of Portrait and Head
Thank you for paying attention to the details and for making even little peope feel grand. 🫶🏻
Review of Guardian
the packaging was excellent! the piece was well protected. communication from the time i placed the order to framing to shipment was very good
Review of Actual Size
so surprised from the extreme professiomality and packimg
Review of Fuzz Gathering
We really appreciate AA being a trusted partner in our collecting journey. The quality offerings that AA helps bring to the market continue to impress.
Review of Portrait and Head
Always an excellent job and piece of art from Avant!
Review of Dogs of War
As a longtime buyer of prints and editions I am extremely impressed with my first Avant Arte experience. The attention to quality, detail, packaging and the customer experience are among the best Ive seen.
Review of Untitled

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